Do you have a clutter problem? Are your children threatening to put you on a TV show about hoarders? The new year is a great time to fix bad habits, so here are just a few tips to declutter your home and make it livable again.
Tackle One Room at a Time
It’s easy to procrastinate when you let yourself think about the sheer amount of work involved with decluttering your home. Instead of despairing, however, just deal with things one area at a time. Clean the living room today and the bathroom tomorrow. Put off the attic until you’ve already built up some momentum.
You don’t have to do everything in one frantic burst of activity; it’s okay to take your time.
Clean Out Your Drawers
Take everything out of your drawers, including the stuff that’s supposed to be there. Then sort it all into three piles:
- What belongs in the drawer
- What should be put somewhere else
- What you can throw away
Not only will you tidy up the drawer, but you’ll also give yourself more storage space for future items!
Give Away Something from Each Room
Unless you eliminate some of your clutter, you’re just rearranging it in more attractive ways. Try to find something in every room that you can donate or give to charity. Whether it’s a box of clothes from the bedroom or some unopened toiletries from the bathroom, there are sure to be worthy causes in your area that would appreciate the donation.
Gather Your Documents
The average household deals with a lot of paper. Whether it’s bills, receipts, flyers, magazines, manuals or school notices, they should all go to a designated area like an in-tray. This will keep “paper mountains” from forming on your coffee table or foyer table. Then make sure to go through it on a regular basis and sort it out appropriately.
Clean Out Your Cabinets
This applies to kitchen cabinets, bathroom cabinets, medicine cabinets and any cabinets that you have in the garage. You might be surprised at the amount of expired cough syrup just taking up space that could be used for something else!
The same goes for old pots and pans that you’ve stacked and forgotten under the sink. Clean out these cabinets for more space and less clutter. And while you’re at it, give them a good scrubbing as well.
Label Everything
“But I don’t know where to put it!”
If your kids have ever used this excuse to justify not picking up after themselves, here is your solution. You can find whole rolls of blank white stickers to customize at your leisure, and if you slap them on your storage spaces with descriptive notes like “kitchen tools” and “remotes and game controllers,” your kids will have no more excuses for sloppiness. It’s a game changer when you want to declutter your home.
Put Away Unused Appliances
How often do you really use that juicer? When was the last time you turned on that waffle maker? If you haven’t fired it up in the past three months, stash it in your cupboard or pantry. This will give you more space on your countertops for cooking and organizing, making your kitchen look and feel much more organized. Plus, you’ll still have your appliances on hand when you need them.
Treat Yourself
Give yourself a little treat whenever you’ve successfully decluttered a room! It doesn’t have to be big and expensive; it can be as simple as indulging in some of those chocolate cookies you’re usually too health-conscious to consume. The goal is to give yourself some kind of incentive to push through the boring or stressful parts of cleaning the house.
Decluttering your home doesn’t have to be a massive undertaking. In fact, if you take things one area or task at a time, you might find that the whole thing is easier than you ever dreamed. If you want some more tips, check out our article on Home Organization Ideas to Try. Good luck!
